The Audition @ the Black Sheep
by Ryan Edwards
After learning that I had a chance to interview the Audition at the Black Sheep in Colorado Springs, I realized I had many questions about the band and the venue, both of which I’d never heard of. Driving there, I found that the venue is thrown in with pawnshops and used car dealerships; a potentially sketchy scene, but from my experience, an environment that is usually home to a damn-good venue, with damn-good music.
The Audition was no exception to this rule. Consisting of Ryan O’ Connor (drummer), Joe Lussa (bass), Jimmy Lopez and Jimmy Klepeek (guitarists), and Danny Stevens (lead singer), these Chicago and Detroit natives have been playing together since 2005, and have toured nationwide with bands such as 30 Seconds to Mars, and Alkaline Trio. The Audition have made a name for themselves in the mid-west, and continue to find success with songs from prior albums, as well as their latest album, Chapter II. “[Chapter II] is a bridge from the old to the new,” says Stevens, noting that this album found the band leaving their record company, and going at it on their own.
Second on the roster for the Eve 6 show, the upbeat punk band played a 30 minute set, after openers, Namesake. Never standing in one spot, the band made sure the crowd was having fun. Steven’s was all over the stage, getting into every song, like “My Temperature is Rising,” from one of their first albums, and “You Make me Sick” from Chapter II. At one point, Stevens grabbed a fan’s phone and took a picture of the crowd, before running into the audience while singing, and asking a fan if she was single. “It shows kids that we are here to have fun, not so far to grasp” said Lussa, commenting on the interaction that the band has with the crowd.
Before I knew it, the Audition’s short set was over, and the crowd was anticipating Eve 6. But as they left the stage, it was clear to see how blown away people were by this band. They cheered like the Audition was the headliner. Afterwards, the band made themselves available to meet with fans and promote Chapter II. If the Audition accomplished one thing that night, they accomplished this…they made a fan out of me.
Category: Planet Buzz
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